Edmonton Minute: Issue 234

Edmonton Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Edmonton politics

📅 This Week In Edmonton: 📅

• On Tuesday, at 9:30 am, there will be an Audit Committee meeting. The Committee will review the Office of the City Auditor Recommendation Follow-up Dashboard Report. The report shows that Administration has closed 6 recommendations since January, leaving 47 outstanding - 35 not yet due and 12 overdue. The closed recommendations include improvements in governance at Fort Edmonton Park, policy updates for Enforcement Services, inventory management for Waste Collections, standardized KPIs for 311 Requests, and performance tracking for Blatchford Development and Recreation Programming. Of the overdue recommendations, three are more than a year overdue, including the development of performance measures and evaluating the homelessness plan for the City's Response to Homelessness.
  
  
• The Audit Committee will review the Affordable Housing Funding Decisions Audit, which found areas for improvement in the Affordable Housing Investment Program (AHIP) and Below Market Land Sales. For AHIP, the Audit suggests that the process lacks clear guidance on expert input and doesn't keep enough documentation, which could affect consistency and transparency. There were also errors in application scores due to the lack of a detailed review process, and monitoring of grant agreements was found to be inconsistent. To fix this, the Social Development Branch plans to update guidelines, introduce new software, and improve tracking by 2026. For Below Market Land Sales, the lack of clear guidelines and inconsistent monitoring may lead to non-compliance. The Branch will create guidelines and better monitoring tools by 2025.
  
  
• Council is exploring alternatives to photo radar for traffic enforcement after Alberta’s government implemented new restrictions on its use. Since April 1st, photo radar has been limited to school, playground, and construction zones, with a significant reduction in the number of enforcement sites across the province. Councillors are considering measures such as empowering bylaw officers to enforce speed limits. Administration will report back to Council in the fall with a number of options.
  
  
• Downtown Edmonton’s Manulife Place will be renamed National Bank Centre as National Bank expands its presence following its $5-billion acquisition of Canadian Western Bank. The bank plans to relocate CWB’s offices to the building and occupy 10 floors after $45 million in renovations modernize the space. National Bank emphasized its commitment to maintaining a strong executive and operational base in Edmonton to support its Western Canada growth. The building will feature the bank’s logo, new signage, and a street-level banking centre.
  
  
• Edmonton is moving forward with plans to eliminate all EPark machines by the end of July, transitioning to mobile-only parking payments. In response to concerns from seniors and those without smartphones, City Councillors have asked for new strategies to ease the shift. Councillor Aaron Paquette highlighted that many residents are confused about the new system and feel the process is too complicated. Although mobile app usage is growing, a significant number of people still rely on the machines, prompting worries about accessibility. Council has requested reports on funding options for parking infrastructure and ways to improve communication and education around the new system.
  
  
• The Edmonton Downtown Spark festival will not return this year due to a lack of funding. The festival, which featured inflatables, live music, and installations in public spaces, was initially created during the COVID-19 pandemic to boost economic recovery. The funding that supported the event was specifically aimed at pandemic recovery, and no longer exists. Additionally, the timing of the festival, which was meant to attract visitors during a quiet May, now faces competition with the Edmonton Oilers' playoff run. Despite this, the Edmonton Downtown Business Association is planning other events for the spring and summer, including Pride Month celebrations, the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival, and the Summer Block Party series. The Edmonton Downtown Farmers' Market will also return in mid-May.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

It’s Election Day! Voters from coast to coast are casting their ballots to decide who will form the next government. Make sure you take the opportunity to have your voice heard.

Need details on where to vote, what ID to bring, or who’s running in your riding? Visit the Elections Canada website for everything you need to know:

🪙 This Week’s Sponsor: 🪙

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